青藏高原渐新世晚期隆升的地质证据

国内外学者普遍认为,地壳缩短增厚是青藏高原隆升的主要原因,青藏高原隆升对环境变迁和东亚季风具有重要影响,但对青藏高原隆升时代存在不同认识。通过统计分析青藏高原中段新生代不同时期的地层倾角,表明区域褶皱变形主要发生于古近纪,中新世湖相沉积地层产状平缓,挤压构造变形微弱,说明地壳缩短增厚主要发生于中新世前。湖相沉积地层的孢粉分析结果表明,青藏地区热带亚热带阔叶林植被自始新世中期开始逐步减少,至中新世早期濒临消亡;暗针叶林植被自渐新世早中期开始逐步增加,至中新世早中期达到繁盛程度甚至居主导地位。根据这些地质证据,结合全球气候变化、古气温及年代学资料,综合推断青藏高原渐新世晚期隆升高度达到海拔4000m左右。     

三大自然区过渡地带近50年来气候类型变化及其对气候变化的响应

The transition area of three natural zones (Eastern Monsoon Region, Arid Region of Northwest China, Qinghai Tibet Plateau Region) is influenced by the Asian monsoon and middle latitude westerly circulation because of its special geographical position. And it is more sensitive to global climate change. The Koppen climate classification, which is widely used in the world, and the accumulated temperature-dryness classification, which is usually used in China, were used to study the climate zones and changes in the region of longitude 97.5°~108°E, latitude 33°~41.5°N, from 1961 to 2010. The changing areas of each climate zone were compared to the East Asian Summer Monsoon index, the South Asian Summer Monsoon index, the Summer Westerly index, the East Asian Winter Monsoon index, the Plateau Summer Monsoon index, the North Atlantic Oscillation index, the Southern Oscillation index, NINO3.4 index, to explore the response of the transition area of three natural zones to each climate system. According to the results, this region will become wetter when the Summer Westerly or the East Asian Winter Monsoon is relatively strong. When the East Asian Summer Monsoon or the South Asian Summer Monsoon becomes strong, the climate in low altitude region of the study area will easily become drier, and the climate in high altitude region of the study area is easily to become wetter. When the Plateau Summer Monsoon is relatively strong, the climate in the study area will easily become drier. When the North Atlantic Oscillation is relatively strong, the study area will easily become wetter. And when the El Niño is relatively strong, or the Southern Oscillation is relatively weak, the study area will easily become drier. In general, the moisture status of this region is mainly controlled by the middle latitude westerly circulation. The enhancement of the Asian summer monsoon could increase the precipitation in the southeast part of this regional, but, according to the degrees of dryness and the types of climate change in this paper, warming effects could offset precipitation increasing and make the area drier. The transition area of three natural zones is influenced by multiple interactions of climate systems from East Asia. A single climatic index, such as air temperature or precipitation, can not completely represent the regional features of climate change. As a result, areas of climate zones can be used as an important index in the regional climate change assessment.     

Major changes in East Asian climate in the mid-Pliocene: Triggered by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau or global cooling?

Since the mid-Pliocene, East Asian climates have experienced significant changes. One view suggests that significant uplift of the Tibetan Plateau during this period could have been responsible for these dramatic changes in the strength of the East Asian monsoon and for Asian interior aridification, while some other authors attribute these changes to the ongoing global cooling and rapid growth of the Arctic ice-sheet. Up to the present, which factor dominates the major changes of East Asian climate in the mid-Pliocene is still a contentious issue. This study presents an analysis of several climate proxies including grain-size, (CaO^* + Na₂O + MgO)/TiO₂ ratio, Na/Ka ratio and dust accumulation rates of the Xifeng Red Clay sequence in the eastern Chinese Loess Plateau and the Xihe Pliocene loess-soil sequence in West Qinling. They reveal that aridity in the continental interior and winter monsoon circulation both intensified, whereas the East Asian summer monsoon showed a weakening rather than intensifying trend since the mid-Pliocene. These changes are also supported by the other multi-proxy records from various regions in East Asia. Previous numerical modeling studies have demonstrated that uplift of the Tibetan Plateau would have simultaneously enhanced continental-scale summer and winter monsoon strength as well as central Asian aridity. The mid-Pliocene climate changes in East Asia are therefore unlikely to be a response to Plateau uplift. On the contrary, our recent modeling results give support to the view that ongoing cooling could have intensified both the aridity of the interior and the strength of the winter monsoon, but weakened the summer monsoon in East Asia.     

伦坡拉盆地西部丁青湖组新发现凝灰岩锆石U- Pb年龄及其地层学意义

伦坡拉盆地丁青湖组沉积时代的确定对于研究青藏高原中部的古高度和古气候具有重要的地质意义,但由于没有精确的年龄数据,其顶部是否跨入了新近系,一直以来都存在争论。作者在伦坡拉盆地西部鄂加卒地区开展野外调查过程中,在该剖面中部和上部新发现两套凝灰岩夹层,对凝灰岩进行了LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年,获得了两件凝灰岩样品的形成年龄分别为24.05±0.24Ma(MSWD=1.07,n=24)和22.64±0.33Ma(MSWD=0.45,n=17),时代分别为晚渐新世和早中新世。根据凝灰岩锆石U-Pb年龄和前人研究成果,将鄂加卒剖面的细碎屑岩地层重新厘定为丁青湖组,并将丁青湖组的沉积时代定为渐新世-中中新世。根据丁青湖组地层厚度及沉积速率估算,该组沉积持续时间在21～23Ma之间,其顶部地层的年龄在11～13Ma左右。由此可见,伦坡拉盆地接受连续沉积一直持续到了中中新世,这比过去普遍认识的晚始新世-渐新世时期青藏高原中部的古高度和古气候变化时间更晚。前人在该地区发现的近无角犀化石、攀鲈鱼化石、棕榈科叶片化石以及孢粉化石等研究结果共同证实,青藏高原中部渐新世晚期的古海拔高度低于～2500～3000 m。因此,该区晚渐新世-早中新世温暖潮湿的气候特征很可能是受到了印度洋气流穿透的影响,而且该影响可能一直持续到了中中新世,从而造就了该时期青藏高原生物的多样性。     

Postglacial changes in the Asian summer monsoon system: a pollen record from the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Zhou, W., Yu, S.‐Y., Burr, G. S., Kukla, G. J., Jull, A. J. T., Xian, F., Xiao, J., Colman, S. M., Yu, H., Liu, Z. & Kong, X. 2010: Postglacial changes in the Asian summer monsoon system: a pollen record from the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 528–539. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00150.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. A new pollen record constrained by 32 AMS radiocarbon dates from the Hongyuan peatland in the Zoige Basin reveals the long‐term dynamics of an alpine wetland ecosystem on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau over the last 13 500 years. Changes in pollen assemblages and influxes suggest that local vegetation has experienced three distinct stages, from alpine coniferous forest–meadow (13 500–11 500 cal. a BP), through alpine coniferous forest (11 500–3000 cal. a BP), back to alpine coniferous forest–meadow (3000 cal. a BP–present). This record reflects an ecosystem response along a transition zone where the South Asian and East Asian monsoon systems may have had different palaeoclimatic influences. A comparison of this record with other pollen records across the Tibetan Plateau shows common features with regard to large‐scale Holocene climatic changes, but highlights a pattern of regional temporal and spatial variability that depends on the topography and position relative to the South Asian and East Asian monsoon fronts.     

Evidence of continuous Asian summer monsoon weakening as a response to global cooling over the last 8 Ma

The Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) is the dominant climate system of South and East Asia. However, the history of monsoon intensification and the driving forces behind it are controversial. Wind-blown sediments in mid-latitude East Asia and fluvial-derived sediments in the northern South China Sea imply contrasting ASM patterns during the late Cenozoic. Here we use pollen records from the southwest South China Sea (International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1433) to reconstruct the ASM evolution in low-latitude Southeast Asia. A slow increase in herbaceous plants since 8 Ma indicates a persistent weakening of precipitation in Indochina, which is dominated by the ASM. This signal is closely associated with a consistent coniferous plant record, indicating a continuous cooling trend that correlates well with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) decrease in the west Pacific Ocean. We propose that the monsoon weakening resulted in as much as a ~ 25% reduction in precipitation over the past 8 Ma in response to the Northern Hemisphere glaciation/global cooling, with some of the increase in conifers being linked to uplift of the Vietnamese Central Highland and the SE flank of the Tibetan Plateau in Yunnan and northern Vietnam.     

一个耦合气候系统模式模拟的中全新世时期亚洲季风系统变化

本文分析了一个耦合模式FGOALS_g1.0对工业革命前气候(0ka)和中全新世时期(6ka)亚洲夏季风的模拟结果。在该研究中我们主要分析季风降水变率较大的区域,即东亚夏季风区(20°～45°N,110°～120°E)和印度夏季风区(10°～30°N,70°～80°E)。尽管耦合模式的普遍偏差依然存在,该模式反映出亚洲季风系统是海陆热力性质差异的结果,并较好地模拟出了0ka亚洲夏季风大尺度环流的特点和季节变化的特征。6ka和0ka比较分析的结果表明,6ka时期欧亚大陆增暖,海陆温度梯度加强; 印度夏季风降水从南亚大陆北移到 30°N 附近,位于青藏高原南侧的降水大值中心降水加强; 东亚季风区降水则表现为华北地区减少,长江流域和华南地区降水增加的特点。但合理地模拟季风爆发仍然是耦合气候系统模式的难点之一。
6ka时期亚洲夏季风变化是和大尺度季风环流的变化联系在一起的,而其根本原因是中全新世时期地球轨道参数变化所引起的太阳辐射变化,北半球季节循环的振幅加强。海陆热力性质的差异所导致海陆温差加大使得北半球的季风环流加强,印度夏季风高空东风在 20°～30°N 加强,低层赤道东风加强,跨赤道后的西南气流向北推移,从而使得印度夏季风降水雨带北移到 30°N 附近。东亚季风区的高低空温度场的配置使得副热带高空急流减弱,位置偏南,从而有利于华北地区的高空出现异常的辐合,中层为异常的辐散,抑制了季风降水的发展; 长江流域和华南地区则相反,季风降水降水加强。     

青藏高原气候系统变化及其对东亚区域的影响与机制研究进展

青藏高原地区特殊的大气圈、水圈、冰冻圈、生物圈等多圈层相互作用过程及其变化,不仅对青藏高原及其周边地区的气候格局和变化有重要影响,而且对东亚、北半球乃至全球的环流形势和异常产生深远影响。为此,全球变化研究重大科学研究计划于2010年9月启动了"青藏高原气候系统变化及其对东亚区域的影响与机制研究"项目,旨在开展青藏高原环境、地表过程、生态系统对全球变化的响应及其对周边地区人类生存环境影响的综合交叉研究,以揭示青藏高原气候系统变化及其对东亚区域的影响机制,提出前瞻性的应对气候变化与异常的策略,减少其导致的区域自然灾害的损失。项目实施近3年来,开展了青藏高原首次"星—机—地"综合立体协同观测试验和大规模地气相互作用综合观测试验。在遥感结合地面观测估算青藏高原地表特征参数和能量通量方法,高原地区上对流层和下平流层结构,高原季风与东亚季风和南亚季风之间的内在联系,中国及青藏高原地区太阳辐射和风速的年代际变化趋势,青藏高原春季感热源减弱及其对亚洲夏季风和中国东部降水的影响,以及极高海拔地区土地覆被格局等方面取得了一些突出进展。     

全球变化与亚洲季风

本文介绍近年来季风研究的某些进展,着重介绍和探讨青藏高原和ＥＮＳＯ事件对于中国和印度夏季风雨量变化的影响以及在全球变暖的背景下中国和印度季风雨量的可能变化。     

青藏高原隆升气候效应的数值模拟研究进展概述

青藏高原隆升作为新生代的重大地质事件对亚洲乃至全球气候环境变化产生了深远的影响,因而高原隆升的气候环境效应一直是备受关注的重要科学问题。在过去近半个世纪中,国内外学者利用气候数值模式开展了大量高原地形气候效应的数值模拟研究,这些研究结果极大地提升了对地形抬升影响气候的物理机制以及高原隆升对古气候演化驱动作用的认识。本文简要回顾了过去有关青藏高原隆升气候效应数值模拟研究的进展,并按照高原隆升模拟研究发展的3个阶段总结了目前取得的主要研究成果。从数值模拟结果看,新生代以来青藏高原在隆升、生长和北移过程中其动力和热力作用对东亚季风的形成、南亚季风的演化、内陆干旱化的发展以及亚洲季风-干旱环境格局的变迁都具有深远的影响。青藏高原及其周边不同区域地形隆升的气候效应不同,青藏高原隆升的气候效应与大陆漂移背景下海陆分布和古地理格局的变化密切相关。南亚热带季风的建立是由大陆漂移的位置和热带辐合带季节性移动共同决定的,而东亚季风的建立则主要取决于青藏高原的隆升和北移。亚洲副热带干旱区的存在取决于大陆的位置和行星尺度副热带高压的控制,而亚洲内陆中纬度干旱区的形成则是青藏高原隆升的结果。本文最后简要梳理了高原隆升气候效应数值模拟研究目前存在的问题和未来可能的改进。     

青藏高原地面辐射对中国东部夏季降水影响的数值试验

利用CAM5模式设计敏感性试验,研究了中国东部夏季降水对青藏高原地面辐射异常变化的响应和可能的物理机制。试验结果表明：当高原北部、中部等区域夏季地面辐射减小,中国东部夏季降水整体上增多,但南部、东部沿海区域降水异常减少。青藏高原地面辐射的变化,对青藏高压、西太平洋副热带高压和季风等天气系统具有一定影响,进而影响中国东部地区的夏季降水。当青藏高原地面辐射减小,青藏高压中心位置偏西,强度减弱;东亚季风和南亚季风强度增大,中国东部大部分地区850 hPa风场强度增强;西太平洋副热带高压位置偏东,强度减弱,中国南部、东部沿海区域夏季降水受其影响而减少,但华中、华北、东北等地夏季降水整体上增多。故中国东部夏季降水异常变化与青藏高原地面辐射之间具有显著的相关关系。     

Decoupling of stalagmite-derived Asian summer monsoon records from North Atlantic temperature change during marine oxygen isotope stage 5d

The Asian monsoon is an important component of the global climate system. Seasonal variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature associated with the Asian monsoon systems affect a vast expanse of tropical and subtropical Asia. Speleothem-derived summer monsoon variation in East Asia was previously found to be closely associated with millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region between 75 and 10 ka. New evidence recovered from East Asia, however, suggests that the teleconnection between summer monsoon in East Asia and temperature change in the North Atlantic region may have significantly reduced during 120 to ~ 110 ka, a period directly after the full last interglaciation and corresponding roughly to marine oxygen isotope stage 5d. This reduction may be due to the low ice volume in the North Hemisphere at that time, which makes the millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region less effective in influencing the Asian summer monsoon. This is important for investigating the mechanisms controlling the Asian summer monsoon and the paleoclimatic teleconnection between East Asia and the North Atlantic region, and for predicting monsoon-associated precipitation in East Asia under a global-warming trend.     

渭河盆地末次冰盛期以来沉积环境变化研究

研究过去气候快速变化能为当前极端气候分析和未来环境预测提供自然背景理解。亚洲季风在北半球乃至全球的第四纪气候变化中扮演着重要角色,其演化是全球气候变化背景下的典型区域响应。然而,不同地质载体及不同指标所记录的亚洲冬、夏季风变化存在着较大差异,产生差异的原因及受到的动力机制是值得深入研究的科学问题。渭河盆地位于黄土高原和古三门湖沉积交叠的区域,是研究第四纪亚洲季风演化的理想场所。在盆地西南部西安市户县和长安县获取了两个黄土沉积钻孔,户县ZZC孔长4 m,长安县XFC孔长3 m,两孔的年代均超过25 ka。通过两钻孔的粒度和元素地球化学等代用指标研究,对比分析不同指标对气候变化的敏感度差异,反演了末次冰盛期(LGM)以来的区域沉积环境变化,并尝试探讨该时期发生的气候突变事件及反映的季风强度变化。结果表明,两钻孔的平均粒径从LGM到中全新世逐渐变细,中全新世之后少许变粗,空间上表现出一致性,总体反映了末次冰盛期以来的冬季风强度演化;Ca/Ti反映了与季风降水相关的淋溶强度,从LGM到全新世暖期夏季风逐渐减弱,并记录了若干次气候快速变化。粒度和元素比值变化表明,渭河盆地沉积良好地记录了末次冰盛期至全新世的大幅冷干-暖湿波动及若干次持续时间较短的快速水文变化事件,主要是受到太阳辐射和冰量等因素调控的影响。由于渭河盆地有上千米的新生代沉积,未来开展高分辨率研究有望揭示不同时间尺度季风变化特征及其与区域和全球变化的联系。     

晚中新世以来亚洲季风阶段性演化的海陆记录

本文在综合对比晚新生代以来中国黄土高原黄土一红粘土沉积、西北太平洋粉尘沉积、南海有孔虫、阿拉伯海有孔虫记录的基础上,探讨了大约8Ma以来亚洲季风的阶段性演化历史。结果发现,黄土高原粉尘沉积在8Ma前后大规模出现,在3．5Ma前后大幅增加;印度季风在8Ma前后形成(或显著加强);南海ODP1146站位浮游有孔虫Neoglcboquadrina丰度也有两次明显增加,表明海水表面温度不断降低和海洋生产力的增加,指示东亚冬季风作用增强。北太平洋()DP885／886钻孔风成粉尘通量也有增加,指示亚洲内陆进一步的干旱化和冬季风作用的增强。印度洋沉积通量在11Ma前后开始增加。在9～8Ma时出现峰值,表明喜马拉雅山和青藏高原南部逐渐隆起。当隆起达到足够高度时,导致亚洲内陆干旱气候带扩大,同时提供大量粉尘并向东传输到中国北方和北太平洋地区。青藏高原北缘山前盆地的沉积记录显示,在3．6Ma时,高原北部的进一步快速隆升过程可能影响到整个高原,从而导致亚洲内陆更加干旱化,东亚季风增强,粉尘沉积加快,南海及印度洋陆源沉积作用加剧。     

中国黄土高原西缘甘肃万象洞MIS 5石笋δ18 O记录与南方地区石笋记录的对比研究*

位于青藏高原与黄土高原过渡带的甘肃武都万象洞石笋WXSM51和WXSM52提供了MIS 5(118~79kaB.P.)高分辨率的δ¹⁸ O记录。研究表明, 万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O值与夏季风强度呈负相关关系, 与我国西南部的贵州董歌洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录有良好的对应关系, 并与高纬度的格陵兰NGRIP冰芯δ¹⁸ O记录和65°N太阳辐射强度有很好的一致性, 说明万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录了118~79kaB.P.期间亚洲季风强度的变化, 同时也说明东亚季风强度的变化和全球气候变化同步, 而且主要受控于北半球太阳辐射强度的变化。同时它与地中海碳酸盐记录有很好的相似性, 和巴西石笋δ¹⁸ O记录在千年尺度上表现出相反的变化趋势, 说明东亚季风区、地中海地区以及巴西季风区之间存在密切的联系, 指示了南北半球气候在千年尺度上存在"跷跷板"(seesaw)现象。万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录的MIS 5b与MIS 5a突发性转换, 与NGRIP冰芯δ¹⁸ O记录相似, 而与神农架记录存在差异, 说明万象洞地区对亚洲季风强度的响应更为敏感。     

近千年来三个气候特征时期东亚夏季风的模拟对比

利用全球海气耦合气候模式ECHO-G的近千年连续积分资料,选取与降水关系较好的东亚夏季风指数,对不同气候特征时期的东亚环流及季风影响因子进行了探讨.结果表明用海陆热力差异定义的东亚夏季风指数Isun在年际尺度上较好地体现了长江流域及华北地区降水的变化,而利用850 hPa纬向风场定义的指数Iwang在年代际尺度上较好地体现了长江流域的降水变化.从不同气候特征时期的环流来看,中世纪暖期夏季风最强,东亚大陆降水明显偏多,现代暖期夏季风较之有所减弱,而小冰期则是夏季风最弱的时期,东亚大陆的降水明显偏少.不同气候特征时期夏季风指数与海温的相关表明,ENSO事件对东亚夏季风的影响在现代暖期有所增强,而与外部强迫因子的相关揭示出中世纪暖期有效太阳辐射变化是影响东亚夏季风变化的主要因子,现代暖期则是温室气体对夏季风的影响更重要.     

Millennial-scale oscillations of the westerly jet path during the last glacial period

It has been established that East Asian summer monsoon intensity varies with Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles, suggesting a connection between the climates of East Asia and the North Atlantic on a millennial timescale. However, the dynamics of such a connection are still unsolved. Here we demonstrate that temporal changes in the provenance of aeolian dust in Japan Sea sediments, which we interpret to reflect changes in the westerly jet path over East Asia, exhibit variations in harmony with Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles. The dominance of dust with a Mongolian Gobi provenance during stadials suggests a westerly jet axis located to the south of the Himalaya–Tibetan Plateau throughout most of the year, whereas the co-dominance of dust from both the Taklimakan Desert and the Mongolian Gobi during interstadials suggests that the westerly jet axis jumped to the north of the Tibetan Plateau at latest in summer. As the shift of the westerly jet axis to the north of the Tibetan Plateau is closely related to the onset of the East Asian summer monsoon, changes of the westerly jet path apparently critically affect the teleconnection between the climates of Asia and North Atlantic on a millennial timescale.     

末次盛冰期东亚气候的成因检测

在国际古气候模拟比较计划设置的标准试验方案下,首先利用中国科学院大气物理研究所的全球大气环流模式（IAP-AGCM）模拟了末次盛冰期东亚气候状况,然后通过4组数值敏感性试验逐一模拟了大气CO₂浓度、海洋表面温度（SST）和海冰、陆地冰盖和地形、东亚植被变化4项强迫因子的单独气候效应,进而对末次盛冰期东亚气候的成因进行了检测。结果表明,末次盛冰期除华南局部略有升温外,中国年均地表气温显著降低,降温幅度总体上向北增大,青藏高原处存在一个降温中心。其中,SST和海冰变化是华南局部略偏暖的主因,它同时导致了东亚其他区域地表气温的显著降低,特别是在东北亚地区;陆地冰盖和地形变化对于东亚地表气温的显著冷却作用主要体现在东亚的西北部;大气CO₂浓度降低会引起东亚地区0.2～0.9℃的普遍降温;相对而言,东亚植被的降温作用（0.5～1.0℃）主要显现在中国40°N以南的区域。与此同时,SST和海冰变化能引起中国东部年均降水一定程度的减少,而大气CO₂浓度、陆地冰盖和地形、东亚植被单独变化均不会显著影响东亚年均降水的分布状况,然而,上述四项因子的共同变化会通过协同作用引起中国东部年均降水的显著减少,西部地区降水则与现在差别不大。此外,末次盛冰期东亚夏季风的显著减弱源于SST和海冰变化,冬季风变化则可归因于SST和海冰、陆地冰盖和地形的变化。     

Holocene temperature fluctuations in the northern Tibetan Plateau

Arid Central Asia (ACA) lies on a major climatic boundary between the mid-latitude westerlies and the northwestern limit of the Asian summer monsoon, yet only a few high-quality reconstructions exist for its climate history. Here we calibrate a new organic geochemical proxy for lake temperature, and present a 45-yr-resolution temperature record from Hurleg Lake at the eastern margin of the ACA in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Combination with other proxy data from the same samples reveals a distinct warm–dry climate association throughout the record, which contrasts with the warm–wet association found in the Asian monsoon region. This indicates that the climatic boundary between the westerly and the monsoon regimes has remained roughly in the same place throughout the Holocene, at least near our study site. Six millennial-scale cold events are found within the past 9000 yr, which approximately coincide with previously documented events of northern high-latitude cooling and tropical drought. This suggests a connection between the North Atlantic and tropical monsoon climate systems, via the westerly circulation. Finally, we also observe an increase in regional climate variability after the mid-Holocene, which we relate to changes in vegetation (forest) cover in the monsoon region through a land-surface albedo feedback.     

Vegetation and Climate Inferred from Pollen Record in East Asian Region During MIS 5: A Review

The last interglacial, Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5, about 71~128 ka BP), is the closest to modern interglacial period, in which there are identifiable patterns that could give us clues into what will happen in the future. Pollen analysis, the study of fossil pollen and spores, is one of the key methods for the reconstruction of past vegetation and environment. Pollen data from 23 sites in eastern Asian region were reviewed to document regional patterns of vegetation and climate change during MIS 5 and to understand the large-scale controls on these changes. The regional patterns of vegetation during MIS 5 can be compared with the present-day vegetation. The climate, inferred from pollen record, was not stable during MIS 5. The substages (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d and 5e) of MIS 5 can be identi?ed by pollen assemblages in some areas, which describe the imprint of orbital-scale climate oscillations. East Asian monsoons have significantly contributed to the environment of modern eastern Asian monsoon region during MIS 5. However, the climate in Japan is also affected by the ocean currents and westerly circulation. The climate of the Tibetan Plateau is controlled by interactions of competing factors, including Indian monsoons, westerlies, and topography. In eastern Asian region, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, the high-resolution pollen records need to be further studied for the better understanding of the climate change.